Take A Trip

I am so happy that Seyver and I were able to take a weekend off from work and get out of town! It’s not always easy to ask for the time off, and it’s not always easy to justify it. But wow- this trip was so necessary. We both feel much more refreshed and revitalized. We also had a great time reconnecting again without all the background noise of daily life.

This trip was all about enjoying each other, appreciating the time to do whatever we wanted, and discovering everything New Orleans has to offer (or at least a portion of it)! We had so much fun seizing each day and simply taking a pause from our regular responsibilities. It also didn’t hurt that the weather was incredibly perfect while we were there (such a little blessing right there). We couldn’t have asked for a better trip. Below are some of the fun details and things we did on this incredible little getaway!

1. Where to stay… I had a tall order to fill. I knew I wanted to be in the French quarter where all the action is, but far enough away from craziness and noise. I also wanted to stay in a place that had historic charm and wasn’t a chain hotel. Along with that, however, I wanted to make sure it was a reputable place that was clean and had all the amenities of a standard hotel. Luckily I came across the beautiful Melrose Mansion and we both could not have been happier! The place was gorgeous, our room was perfect, and there was a pool and patio we used everyday. On top of that, they offered a hot breakfast every morning as well as wine and cheese every evening. It was absolutely perfect for our stay!

2. What to pack… you never know what the weather is going to be like! I found the cutest dress to bring that I could easily pair it with flats during the warm day and a jacket/boot combo for the evening. My tip would be to bring GOOD walking shoes since we walked A LOT! Also be prepared for rain by having a rain jacket on hand. Lastly, a pair of jeans and long shirt were good to have handy for a cooler evening.

3. What to do… The only thing we planned and paid ahead of time for, was a historic food walking tour. Otherwise, we waited to plan our days based on weather and local recommendations. It seriously could not have worked out any better 🙂

Day 1: Upon arriving we simply walked around to get a feel for the area. We came across unique shops like this Tabasco store, which was right up Seyver’s ally. We also ate at a very cute restaurant that we walked by called Cafe Amelie which was so quaint with delicious food.

Day 2: We embarked on a fabulous journey with Dr. Gumbo and his amazing food history tour! We learned so much about the history of New Orleans from centuries ago until now. We also ate our way through Beignets, Pralines, Po Boys&Muffaletas, Creole Beef Brisket, Gumbo, and more (I’ve attached the link to the restaurants that provided us with these delicious meals). By the end of it we were well educated and stuffed! But not so stuffed that we couldn’t stop at this adorable dessert shop pictured above… I just couldn’t pass up on this delicious lemon blueberry creme brûlée from Sucre!

We also took the earlier part of the morning to explore the expansive WWII museum. What an amazing job this city has done creating such a cohesive understanding of this war. On top of that, the exhibits were absolutely stunning!

Day 3: Who doesn’t love a Hop on Hop off bus? We were able to explore some of the farther out reaches of NOLA such as the Garden District and the Layfayette Cemetery. We also learned about even more history and current happenings occurring in the city. Below I have a picture of my future home 😉 it’s only a cool couple million I’m sure! We came across this beauty during our Garden District walking tour.

We also ate at a few different unique places we learned about thanks to our bus tour guide. Seyver is stuffing his face with a Rachel Sandwich (didn’t intentionally pick it for the name haha) from Steins Deli, which is an amazing Jewish market, and I’m eating a coconut donut the size of my face from District Donuts!)

Overall we had such an amazing time taking in this diverse and unique city. It was so much fun learning about the history that makes NOLA what it is today. Lastly, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in crime to spend such a fun weekend exploring and eating our way through this trip❤️

Wow this brings back so many memories. It’s great to see the city is recovering. You see, I went down with a group shortly after hurricane Katrina to help clean up New Orleans. It would be great to go back purely for a vacation. Thanks for the awesome write-up!